I frequently find myself needing a quick gift for somebody. These days you can get a gift card for just about anything from Home Improvement to Manicures and Massages! The real question is how to stylishly present the gift card. This pocket tag is the perfect solution!

I developed this stitched pocket technique using one of Eileen Hull's Stitchlit dies and now I am looking for any excuse to use it! I fell in love with the *new* Explore Collection from Authentique Papers and decided to make this tag with a travel theme!

Directions:

1.Cut a 4” x 8.5” tag from heavy weight scrapbook
paper. This will be the front of the pocket.

2.Position the Sizzix Border Stitchlits die at center top of tag and secure with washi
tape.

5.Flip tag over and apply ¼” iCraft Easy Tear Tape
along sides and bottom of tag. Do not remove liner at this point.

6.On front side, cross stitch using Crimson Night
yarn to close about 1/3 of the way up the bottom, tying a bow to finish it off.

7.Cut a second tag from heavy weight scrapbook
paper to create the back of the pocket.
Apply ink to edges, remove liner from tapes and adhere the tags
together.

8.Starting in the center, use a pencil to gently
roll each of the die cut edges down and out.
Use Thermoweb 3D Zots to hold the curled flaps in place.

9.Use star shaped die from the Sizzix Banners & Pennants set (or a star shaped punch if you own one) to cut 3
stars from iCraft Easy Cut Adhesive.
Peel off the liner and adhere the stars to the front of the tag.

10.Remove the top liner revealing the star shaped
adhesive.

11.Apply Deco Foil, with the silver side facing
down against the adhesive and the colored side facing up. Burnish well.

12.If you missed a portion of the star (like I did - oops!) simply place
another piece of Deco Foil on top of the adhesive and burnish again!

13.Use Thermoweb 3D Foam Squares to add dimension to stickers and cardstock
embellishments on the front of the tag.

14.Stuff the pocket with cardstock embellishments,
adding more of the yarn at the top of a tag.
Be sure to leave room to include a gift card and a special note!

Note:
I sometimes use plain cardstock or a manila tag for the back of thepocket as that makes a nice place to write a personal note to the giftee! These pockets can be as simple or as embellished as you would care to make them. I chose a travel theme for my tag but you can personalize it for any occasion. Using Eileen Hull’s Stitchlits dies from Sizzix, the unique stitched opening is easy to create and makes a fun-to-fill pocket for your gift and good wishes!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some time to play today! Susie

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Do you have a Pinterest board filled with quotes? I have one that holds my favorite travel quotes and I finally found a way to bring them into my home where I can enjoy them! I am up on the Clearsnap blog today with a tutorial for creating this fun canvas featuring ColorBox Pigment Inks, Souvenir Stamps, and Art Screens. Pop on over and let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some time to play today! Susie

Friday, March 18, 2016

One of my new favorite layouts to make are grid layouts. They are really simple and lots of fun! For this Spring themed layout I used the Chiffon Collection from Quick Quotes.

I loved the script design on one side of Chiffon 105 and used it for the background of the page. Next I cut 1/8" strips from Chiffon 104 and adhered them, with the green side up, creating 3" squares. Then I started to play with the placement of my photos and embellishments!

Click on image to enlarge the photo.

All of the sentiments were trimmed out of the same cutapart page, Chiffon 500, including this title element:

The flowers are actually leftover from the February Club Q Kit, but you can die cut your own using Chiffon 100. I creased the all the petals, inked them with Creamy Cocoa PowderPuff Chalking Ink and layered them together with dimensional adhesive.

Before I added the pearl brad, I included a layer of silk flowers from my stash.

This simple flower was embellished with this gorgeous LeCreme Swirls Finesse from Want2Scrap...

...and these fancy leaves frame this last bloom!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some time to play today! Susie

Monday, March 7, 2016

I love the distressed wood pattern on one side of the Farmhouse 104 paper! It was a perfect starting point for these cards. I inked the edges with Amaretto PowderPuff Chalking Ink and then started adding layers. The sentiments on the Chipboard Diecuts are so sweet!

The flowers on this card are actually from the February Club Q Kit and were cut from papers in the Chiffon Collection. I added blue pearls to the centers after I inked the petals with Warm Sand.

The second card was created the same way - lots of layers, inked edges, and a Chipboard Diecut with a wonderful sentiment!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some time to play today! Susie